Heaven bless you for this!' Simon Tappertit, who had at first implicitly believed that the locksmith's daughter, unable any longer to suppress her secret passion for himself, was about to give it full vent in its intensity, and to declare that she was his for ever, looked extremely foolish when she said these words;--the more so, as they were received by Hugh and Dennis with a loud laugh, which made her draw back, and regard him with a fixed and earnest look.
'Miss Haredale,' said Sim, after a very awkward silence, 'I hope you're as comfortable as circumstances will permit of.

Dolly Varden, my darling--my own, my lovely one--I hope YOU'RE pretty comfortable likewise.' Poor little Dolly! She saw how it was; hid her face in her hands; and sobbed more bitterly than ever.
'You meet in me, Miss V.,' said Simon, laying his hand upon his breast, 'not a 'prentice, not a workman, not a slave, not the wictim of your father's tyrannical behaviour, but the leader of a great people, the captain of a noble band, in which these gentlemen are, as I may say, corporals and serjeants.

You behold in me, not a private individual, but a public character; not a mender of locks, but a healer of the wounds of his unhappy country.

Dolly V., sweet Dolly V., for how many years have I looked forward to this present meeting! For how many years has it been my intention to exalt and ennoble you! I redeem it.

Behold in me, your husband.